Dan Santorum, South Carolina, 2018

Most people who are cruising down I-95 and headed to the famed Florida – Georgia football game don’t have second thoughts about their destination.

Dan Santorum did.

Thirty-three years ago, he took exit 28 in South Carolina, changing his career and his path to induction into the Southern Tennis Hall of Fame.

“I was going to a Florida-Georgia game to meet my buddies that I went to school with at Florida,” Santorum said. “I saw the sign for Hilton Head Island. I made a last second turn and got off the exit.”

When he arrived at the club of PTR founder and President Dennis van Der Meer and his wife, Pat, they were both there. Although Santorum had already expressed interest in a coaching job with the famed tennis coach, organizer and advocate, Santorum was thrilled with the reaction he received.

He remembers Pat saying, “I was just thinking of you.” Then he realized that his decision to create an impromptu, uninvited job interview showed more than the usual amount of interest. The year was 1984, and he took Pat’s job offer without blinking.

Santorum taught for two years traveling the world with Dennis and Pat. Van der Meer was looking for an executive director and his search was coming up dry. “I’ll give it a try,” said Santorum. The next day, the Butler, PA, native was in charge of the fledgling organization with a charge to make it grow . . . and grow it he did.

As CEO of PTR for the past 31 years, Dan leads the world’s largest global organization of tennis teachers/coaches. Santorum has conducted more than 400 PTR educational workshops on six continents, 45 countries & 200+ cities. He is proud that he is the first person to conduct tennis coaches’ workshops in all 50 US states and meeting so many wonderful and dedicated tennis professionals and coaches along the way.

Former USTA and USTA Southern President Lucy Garvin remarked, “Dan will quickly tell you it was a blessing beyond words to have had Dennis as his mentor and friend. He used many of the skills that he acquired from Dennis and developed his own talents to grow the organization into the wonderful organization that it is today.”

In the early 1990s, Santorum created the PTR ACE Program, whose first spokesperson was none other than the legendary Arthur Ashe. Today, the ACE program, which continues to excel, has led to thousands of coaches of color becoming educated and certified to teach tennis in the USA. In 2001, he developed a successful program aimed at increasing the number of young tennis teaching professionals in the United States — PTR on Campus. In 2010, he provided the vision for a new education and certification pathway that helped revolutionize the profession. During his tenure, PTR has grown from an organization of 2,500 members in 68 countries to an organization with more than 16,000 members in 125 countries.

Southern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee Roy Barth said, “In the past ten years since Dennis fell ill, Dan has been the face and the visionary of the PTR. He was ahead of the curve on implementing the 10 & under program as well as developing five educational pathways for pros to meet their individual educational goals.”

A dedicated USTA volunteer for the past 28 years, he has served on several USTA, USTA Southern and USTA South Carolina committees. He’s a member of the South Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame and the USTA Middle States Hall of Fame. Additionally, he is the recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Educational Merit Award and the ITF Service to the Game Award.

Santorum is one of two current USTA Southern presidential appointments and is a member of its Tennis Professionals Committee. He also sits on numerous non-profit tennis industry boards including the International Tennis Hall of Fame, National Public Parks Tennis Association and Tennis Industry Association.

Santorum holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from the University of Florida. He and his wife, Missy, live in Hilton Head Island where they raised their three children – Caroline, Allie, and Michael.

Dan Santorum, South Carolina, 2018

Served as PTR’s Executive Director since 1986

Also inducted into South Carolina Tennis and USTA Middle States halls of fame

Created the PTR ACE Program, which led to recruiting thousands of coaches of color

Serves as a USTA Southern Presidential Appointee and member of the Tennis Professional Committee

Recipient of the International Tennis Hall of Fame’s Educational Merit

Board member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, National Public Parks Tennis Association and Tennis Industry Association